The present invention relates to therapeutic pads and, more particularly, pads in the nature of heating or cooling pads particularly configured for relief of pain of the head, neck, and upper back.
In the prior art of therapeutic pads it is known to provide devices in the nature of a heating pad which completely or substantially envelop the head. Such devices are effectively a hood which is pulled over the entire head in the use thereof. This prior art is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,891 (1964) to Hyer, entitled Neck and Face Dry Heat Applicator; U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,898 (1977) entitled Heat Cap; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,391 (1992) entitled Thermal Packs.
Other prior art of the instant type provides heating to the back, shoulders, and upper chest, but not to any part of the head. Such art is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,585 (1955) to Hariu, entitled Heating Pads and U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,621 (1974), also to Harui, entitled Body Heating Device.
It is also known to configure heating pads and the like for the purpose of providing heat or cold to the shoulders and adjacent tissues only. Such art is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,827 (1988) to Lipton, entitled Heating Pad.
There, as well, exist various and sundry other efforts in the art to provide heating directed to one or another particular portion of the human anatomy. However, there does not, to the knowledge of the within inventor, exist any heating, cooling, or vibratory pad configured and structured to address those particular anatomical factors, namely, those particular combinations of neural, arterial and muscle groups which play a primary role in the cause of headaches, including migraine headaches.
The present invention therefore constitutes an effort to address the long-felt need for a therapeutic pad, the configuration and function of which is particularly adapted to provide relief to sufferers of headaches by affording targeted therapeutic inputs to anatomic factors in the head, neck, and upper back that are associated with the cause of headache pain.